Physics (13) It has been well established by a quarter-century of physics education research that the traditional method of physics teaching (i.e. lecturing without active student engagement) is ineffective at achieving the learning goals that university faculty have for their students. The failure is not that of the students or the instructor, but of the method of instruction. The purpose of this project is to transform introductory physics teaching at UNC-CH in a sustainable way by the introduction of a set of interactive engagement methods in all courses, and to provide a model by which other departments can effect such a transformation. A group of faculty (including participants from North Carolina A&T State University. and Alabama A&M University) is selecting a set of interactive pedagogical methods to be used in all introductory courses, and preparing a set of detailed instructional materials (primarily by adaptation of existing materials made available by the developers of the methods). The development of a common set of teaching materials (based on interactive engagement) for all instructors to use, coupled with mentoring and faculty development, makes high-quality introductory physics teaching sustainable in the long term. Faculty members who have not taught these courses are able to do so effectively, without compromising their ability to accomplish the other missions of research and advanced physics education. Intellectual merit. This project introduces into the department's introductory physics teaching pedagogical techniques that have been shown to be effective by rigorous empirical methods. It therefore helps over 600 students each semester achieve a deeper and more coherent understanding of the fundamental concepts of physics, and be able to apply them more effectively in a wide variety of contexts. The students also come away from their (often only) physics course with a more positive, and more accurate, view of the subject and its relevance. Broader impact. It is uncommon for a major research university physics department to totally transform its introductory teaching without the catalyst of either an indigenous physics education research group or a major external threat to its resources. The project therefore serves as a model for other such departments to follow. Those that wish to make a similar transformation could make use of the comprehensive compilation and evaluation of pedagogical methods that result from the early stages of the project. Those that wish to use more effective pedagogy, but that have only limited resources, can make use of the specific instructional materials in the forms adapted by UNC-CH. More broadly, the project offers a model for how a comprehensive transformation of a set of large enrollment courses can be carried out at a major research university. This model of institutional transformation is applicable to other disciplines and other institutions.
